TampaSportsFitnesshttps://tampasportsfitness.com
Get Active! Stay Active!Tue, 13 Sep 2016 00:44:33 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngTampaSportsFitnesshttps://tampasportsfitness.com
An Open Letter to Jameis Winston: Your decisions are literally going to affect me for the rest of my life, so can you please stop?https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/09/21/an-open-letter-to-jameis-winston-your-decisions-are-literally-going-to-affect-me-for-the-rest-of-my-life-so-can-you-please-stop/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/09/21/an-open-letter-to-jameis-winston-your-decisions-are-literally-going-to-affect-me-for-the-rest-of-my-life-so-can-you-please-stop/#respondSun, 21 Sep 2014 20:00:36 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/09/21/an-open-letter-to-jameis-winston-your-decisions-are-literally-going-to-affect-me-for-the-rest-of-my-life-so-can-you-please-stop/]]>]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/09/21/an-open-letter-to-jameis-winston-your-decisions-are-literally-going-to-affect-me-for-the-rest-of-my-life-so-can-you-please-stop/feed/0Featured Image -- 1607tampasportsfitnessShoot Like They Owe You Moneyhttps://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/05/22/shoot-like-they-owe-you-money/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/05/22/shoot-like-they-owe-you-money/#respondThu, 22 May 2014 09:38:41 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1597]]>TSF saw this article in the New York Post, and we wanted to bring it to the attention of our readers in the hopes that someone will do this in the bay area.

The concept appears similar to paintball, laser tag, or airsoft: run, duck, take cover, and crawl while playing a version of snatch the bacon (i.e. capture the flag, siege vs. defend, take them out before they take you out) but WHILE ARMED WITH BOWS AND ARROWS. For those of us who remember the late 80s/early 90s, this can only mean one thing: that’s right, kids; we’re THIS CLOSE to recreating the Assault Game from American Gladiators!

In all seriousness, this looks like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, none of the numerous indoor sports venues in the bay area appear to be onboard the “arrows to abdomens for amusement” bandwagon just yet. According to ArcheryTag.com, only a few places are officially recognized as purveyors of the new game, including Orlando, Jacksonville, and Saint Cloud. A group called Tropical Extremes has hosted archery tag events in Tampa, but they aren’t based here.

Laser tag? Pffft.

Slow to jump on the newest trend? Understandable. Depending on how one feels about the Nerfication of a (we hope) fictional blood sport in the twin names of amusement and capital gain, padded archery may just be further confirmation that we’re all just one step closer to actually having some version of the Hunger Games in the near future. Or The Most Dangerous Game. Or Surviving the Game. Or The Running Man. Or possibly Spartacus, if you really want to be cynical.

That being said, this needs to happen in the bay area yesterday.

Think of the obvious benefits something like this would have in the bay area. There’s already a healthy market for outdoorsman activities thanks to the varied landscapes offered throughout the area (that means we like shooting things). Now those people would have a chance to level an arrow at a friend in a closed-off arena and let it fly without feeling any pesky remorse about causing grievous bodily injury later. They’d also be grabbing hold of the archery pop culture zeitgeist that started with the Hunger Games and went off to shows like Arrow, Revolution, and Once Upon a Time.

TSF approves of this in general terms. Anything that gets our readers active (read: running around) is good, so marathons and triathlons are satisfactory. Things that allow for groups of people to engage in said activities are usually better, ergo our fondness for CrossFit, outdoor yoga classes, and dragon boat races. But unique, physically-challenging activities where bruising may be involved wins the House Cup every time. The added benefit of being able to whack someone with a padded weapon gets a gold star here.

I mean COME ON, who wouldn’t want to fire an arrow at someone and then go out for a beer with the person you shot?

]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/05/22/shoot-like-they-owe-you-money/feed/0jharlessLaser tag? Pffft.Cuz Even the Walking Dead Stay Activehttps://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/04/04/cuz-even-the-walking-dead-stay-active/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/04/04/cuz-even-the-walking-dead-stay-active/#respondFri, 04 Apr 2014 02:01:46 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1589]]>So it’s now spring, the pleasant weather is here (until May 1, at any rate) and any type of activity that can happen outdoors (festivals, concerts, and the Dunedin Highland Games, to name a few) are happening.

You need to get outside and enjoy while you can, though, because the zombies are coming. Again.

Sound like a leap in logic? Not really. The Walking Dead Escape, an immersive obstacle course run, will be setting up shop in Tampa at the USF Sun Dome on Saturday, May 10. What makes this particular event different from the other zombie runs, Tough Mudders, and other obstacle course-style races that Tampa Sports Fitness has been known to cover? Three things: as it’s taking place on the USF campus, this one is in the backyard of the Tampa Bay area; the event is produced in conjunction Robert Kirkman, the man behind The Walking Dead comic and television show (a TampaSportsFitness favorite); and it takes place at night.

Well, okay, 6 p.m., but COME ON!

“It’s a fully immersed zombie experience,” David Isaacs, president of production company Skybound EXP, said in a story with the Times-Picayune. “It’s not a haunted house where things dump out at you. It’s more of 45 minutes of running, driving, breathless, not sure what you’re going to do next through these hallways and corridors and stadiums,” Isaacs said. “It’s a little bit overwhelming.”

According to the event’s website, the average time to complete the course is 35-45 minutes. While it’s not a race, participants may have to move quickly to avoid the walkers (as the slow usually die for a reason.) Climbing, crawling, and sliding all come into play along the route, but participants can still complete the course even if they can’t complete a given obstacle. Oh, and there will be zombies. And water stations. Probably not at the same time, but you never know…

Registration types include Survivor ($75/$65 with Military ID) for those wanting to run the course (no weapons permitted, so leave any hammers, crossbows, and samurai swords at home, please), Walker ($95/$85 with Military ID) for anyone that’s wanted a professional makeover but secretly wanted it to include rotting skin and bad teeth, and VIP ($150) for those who can’t make up their minds. Spectators get in for $20 ($10 Military ID) and the producer’s promise not to have them look at the flowers. There’s also an after party should anyone survive the course.

Information about the event, including arrival times, prohibited items, and other important stuff to know about surviving the course can be found on the event’s website. Comfortable shoes are recommended.

So, who’s interested?

]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/04/04/cuz-even-the-walking-dead-stay-active/feed/0jharlessthe-walking-dead-your-doing-it-wrong_o_1016379[1]Take that New Year’s Resolution Outdoorshttps://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/01/16/take-that-new-years-resolution-outdoors/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/01/16/take-that-new-years-resolution-outdoors/#respondThu, 16 Jan 2014 10:04:43 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1587]]>It’s the middle of January, which means most of the people that had invaded the gym to get after that New Year’s resolution have either stuck to it or given up by now.

(Full confession: TampaSportFitness MIGHT have played a role there. Certain staff members like to run through gyms in early January with bags of Chick-fil-A. You know, to test the resolve of the newly converted.)

For those of you still going at it, congratulations and keep it up. And for those that have stumbled, we’d like to suggest a change of scenery.

Since we seem to be the only state in the union not digging itself out of snow at the moment, TampaSportFitness thought it was important to highlight some form of outdoor activities. After all, what’s the point in living in a place where January feels like late summer/early fall if you can’t rub it in the faces of everyone living above Atlanta?

And since we’re talking outdoors, we want to highlight a place that everybody thinks they know about but probably don’t: Al Lopez Park.

Located off Himes Avenue, just across the street from Raymond James Stadium and next door to Jesuit High School, the park is well-known by locals for its playgrounds and rented patios. Named for Tampa native and Baseball Hall of Famer Al Lopez, the park stays open from sunrise to sunset and offers some of the most numerous park amenities in Hillsborough County, including dog parks and fishing ponds.

During a recent visit, however, TampaSportsFitness learned it has a great deal more to offer fitness enthusiasts.

The Cordelia B. Hunt Community Center stands near the park entrance and offers a variety of very inexpensive (as low as $2 a session!) fitness classes within its walls. Funny thing is, despite its 11,000-square foot size, a multi-purpose room, kitchen, computer lab, and fitness center, even the regular path runners and playground patrons don’t know about the numerous classes and opportunities offered within the building, even with the advertisements on the billboard in front of it.

“Some have no idea,” James, who teaches a martial arts weapons class on Wednesday nights, said. “Some have told me they thought the building was a landmark.”

In addition to the martial arts weapons classes, the center also currently features tae kwan do for multiple skill and age levels, Zumba, tai chi, and yoga. There have also been fitness boot camps and dance classes hosted at the park in the past.

For anyone looking to enjoy some community fitness activities on a tight budget, the park is a revelation. $15 buys an annual membership for a single person at the Center, granting access to everything within the building. The park also hosts a variety of sporting events. The Art Run 5K will take place there on January 11, 2014, followed by the Tampa Dash 5K and the Energy for Like walk in March.

So how about it, readers? Anyone feel like taking a class or two?

]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2014/01/16/take-that-new-years-resolution-outdoors/feed/0jharlessDSC_0039DSC_0042New Exercise Equipment on Bayshore – Exercise Your Butt Off Here Next Year!https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/12/26/new-exercise-equipment-on-bayshore-exercise-your-butt-off-here-next-year/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/12/26/new-exercise-equipment-on-bayshore-exercise-your-butt-off-here-next-year/#commentsThu, 26 Dec 2013 17:02:04 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1555]]>Yesterday, before heading to my parents house for Christmas and while it was still freezing outside, I decided to snap photos of the semi-new exercise equipment on Bayshore Boulevard. This exercise equipment has been open for about a month or two to the public and is part of the Bayshore Fitness Trail. This trail starts right across from Rome Avenue and is 1 mile long. I included the signs for each piece of equipment because they depict which muscles are worked out when you use them.
]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/12/26/new-exercise-equipment-on-bayshore-exercise-your-butt-off-here-next-year/feed/2Bayshore Fitness TrailtampasportsfitnessMy Experience at Tough Mudderhttps://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/12/24/my-experience-at-tough-mudder-2/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/12/24/my-experience-at-tough-mudder-2/#respondTue, 24 Dec 2013 12:41:58 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1527]]>This is a repost of a post I made last month. Unfortunately, the original site got hacked so I was forced to make a backup of all of our posts and delete the site and start over. I also decided to move the site to a new web hoster , so we’re starting fresh here. These posts are also missing images that were originally published with them, so the blog isn’t as great as it use to be…

My buddy and I went to Tough Mudder: Tampa Central Florida over the weekend.

It was my first Tough Mudder experience and it was a great experience. It was like a casual boot camp experience where we got rewarded at the end of the day with a beer and a snazzy headband that says “Tough Mudder” on it.

Below I will attempt to explain everything for you potential first-timers by explaining what you should do before the event, what you should bring, and by describing what the obstacles are like.

What to do before the event:

Train as hard as you can by making sure you can run/jog at least 4 miles straight. Also, working your upper-body and making sure you can lift yourself and other people up over a wall — this will help tremendously.

Start drinking more water so you are hydrated for the run. I would call it a race but you don’t have to race anyone. In fact, you can skip obstacles and take as long as you want when going through the course.

Bring the following:

Your registration forms (there was a long line even before registration opened so you should get in line early).

A bag to keep a change of cloths and other items in.

$5 dollars to check-in your bag. Apparently they just started charging for this and all the proceeds go towards a charity.

A change of clean cloths which should include a pair of shoes because they will GET MUDDY!

A small (preferably water-proof) pack to carry snacks and anything else you will need during the event. You can even bring a camel pack but it’s not recommended since it can get you stuck in some obstacles. The key is to stay light on your feet so you don’t have to bring anything at all!

A towel to dry off with, which come in handy after you wash off all that mud.

plastic bags for your muddy clothes!

A pair of old RUNNING shoes. You can either keep them (even though they will be extremely muddy at the end) or donate them to Tough Mudder. If you donate them, then they will go to a charity.

Motivation!

Course Breakdown

Some obstacles were fun and exhilarating and some obstacles were lame and painful. Here’s our breakdown of each obstacle, just click on the obstacle link below to skip to a description of it:

Starting Line

Unbeknownst to me, there were actually two starting lines: the first one was where the wave was gathered after they went through registration and baggage check-in. We were all gathered in this area and then suddenly everyone started moving forward. I heard someone shout, “This is it!” but I couldn’t believe it because I knew there was always a debriefing before the run. As we were talking towards the official starting point, it eventually all became clear: they made us jump over an 8 foot (or 8ish…not sure) wall before we could reach the debriefing part. I thought this obstacle was the hardest of them all, it was more of a “wake up and get pumped up for this run” obstacle. Don’t worry, you can always get help from your fellow teammates and other Tough Mudders when going over this wall but it helps to be able to climb over it by yourself! At the second/official starting point, we were debriefed about the run by a MCer. named Sean Corvelle. This guy was very motivating and he will definitely get you motivated for the run , OORAH!

Kiss of Mud

I’m listing out these obstacles as they are listed on the official Tough Mudder course map, but I don’t remember this one being the first obstacle. In fact, it seems like some of these obstacles were reordered differently. However, I will give a short description of it here. It was easy, it just required commando-style crawling underneath a barb wired cage. It’s not as bad as it looks! In fact, none of the obstacles were as bad as they look!

Jesus Walk

There were several Jesus Walks obstacles in between the main/bigger obstacles. These involved a lot of running, walking, and jogging through mud and water.

The first one brought me back to my childhood (when I use to play in the mud – don’t lie you did that too!) but it also gave me a taste of what Tough Mudder is mostly about, TEAM WORK! As we were walking through a ditch full of mud, about waist high, we had to navigate around holes in the muddy ditch (which we couldn’t see because of the mud). I fell down once and the other Tough Mudders pulled me out of the mud. In addition, there was a little socializing going on as we were walking through the mud. I would definately recommend this event (or perhaps all mud run events) for people who are looking to make new friends.

Sack Up

This one required us to lift up a heavy sandbag and carry it down a trail. I think the trail was about a half-mile. Everyone just walked through it, so you don’t have to run through it if you don’t want to. This one was one of the easiest in my opinion. Some people carried the sandbags on their backs while others carried them on their shoulders. I found alternating the carrying between each shoulder was less painful.

Mystery Obstacle #1

This one required us to crawl underneath a structure that was dark inside. One side had fog while the other didn’t have fog in it. This one wasn’t hard to go through.

The Phoenix

This one is most likely named after a bird called The Phoenix which appears in Greek mythology, or after the X-Men character…I guess the idea about this one is that you will feel reborned after jumping over fire and then into a pool of water. It didn’t make me feel reborned, just little irritated because I didn’t expect water to go up my nose.

Mud Mile

The mud mile was easy, but that’s because people weren’t actually going through the main part of the obstacle! We didn’t realize it at the time, because everyone was following everyone else. I can’t say it was challenging but we did get a little exhausted after all that running.

Hangin’ Tough

More like, “Hangin’ and Fallin’ into the water”, AMIRITE? No, actually I’m not and this would have been easier for me if I worked out my upper-body more. I only managed to make it to the third ring before falling into the water. This obstacle required us to swing from one hanging ring to another ring.

Electric Eel

This one required us to crawl through a cage with electrified wires that were hanging down. My friend was like “NOPE, no way, I’m not doing this.” while I was like “Psh, a little electricity has never hurt anybody.” I went through it and thought I didn’t get shocked because I was THAT GOOD, but it turns out the power for it was turned off. Still, there was a lot of space between each wire and it was easy to slide between and underneath them.

Warrior Carry

This one was about depending on your fellow teammates, which means you had to carry each other to the end of the obstacle. This wasnt that bad, just make sure you can lift each other up as if they were injured and need to be evacuated from a hostile situation.

Course Hazard

Along the way, there were mounds of sands we had to climb over and mud we had to walk through. I believe this one was mounds of sand that we had to climb over.

Jesus Walk

More running through the mud.

Glory Blades

Remember when I said there were lame and painful obstacles? Well, this was one of them. It consisted of two walls, each angled about 90 degrees inwards towards the start of the obstacle. It was too painful to go over because of the way it was designed. It was like the very first wall we had to climb over, but slightly different because of the way the walls were angled. In fact , you had to climb over the back of the walls (so there was a lot of framing in front of you to navigate around.)

Funky Monkey

Brass Monkey, the Funky Monkey… sorry, I couldn’t resist. This one was about going across monkey bars over water, however, some of the monkey bars rotated on you so it was hard to keep your grip on them. I almost made it across but ended up falling into the water.

Cage Crawl

Ahhh, this one was like floating down a lazy river and yes, it was that easy. All you have to do is slide down on your stomach, and rotate yourself on your back and propel yourself forward to the end (which means you will go backwards). You can propel yourself forward by grabbing on to the chain length fencing above you. I have to say the water was cleaner than what the pictures of this obstacle suggested.

Artic Enema

Ahhhh, this one was the Pièce de résistance of this year’s Tough Mudder. It required everyone to jump into a pool of below-freezing waters and then dive underneath a barrier so you can get to the end of the pool. You couldn’t hop over the barrier because it had barbed wire above it. This one wasn’t as scary as it looked…actually it was as scary as it looked. Despite the numbness and shock that comes with it, I would recommend this one anyways. It will make you feel refreshed afterwards.

Please note, you should run as fast as you can after Artic Enema so your body warms up quickly!

Course Hazard

There was a small dip in the trail after Artic Enema, which had lots of mud in it. It felt great to run through it because the muddy water was warm!

Trench Warfare

This one was fun and interesting. We had to crawl through a makeshift tunnel that had very little visibility inside. I guess they dug trenches in the dirt and then put plywood over them. This was one also was easy to go through, but it was also one of the dirtiest because we had to crawl through sand.

Walk the Plank

So, this one was the one I was going to skip out of fear. I was pretty sure this one was going to kill me but thankfully that wasn’t the case. In retrospect, I should have skipped it. We had to climb up onto a structure that was about 20 feet high in the air and then walk onto a plank. We then had to jump off the plank into a pool of water as if a bunch of mutineers forced us off our ship. I think it’s funny how this concept was invented as a form of punishment and now people pay to go do it for fun. Again, you should be a good swimmer when going through this one and know how to dive properly (feet first that is!).

Course Hazard

This is when my legs started to cramp up badly which almost caused me to give up. I kept pushing myself to go further (and it was worth it!) when my legs were killing me. I can’t remember the last time my legs cramped up that bad.

Mystery Obstacle #2

This one was another great obstacle. We had to hop into a pool of mud and then lift ourselves up into large drain pipes. However, there was a hose in each of the drain pipes that shot a blast of water into your face as you crawled through it. The best approach for this one is to hop into the tube quickly and grab the rope that is inside it, so you can use the rope to propel yourself upwards towards the exit of the pipe. I found that flipping over onto my back and crawling out backwards was the easiest thing to do. There was a makeshift slip-in-slide at the end that everyone slide down which was fun to do.

Underwater Tunnels

This one required a lot of swimming. We had to swim under 3 sets of barrels that were lined up horizontally. The hardest part was swimming towards the shore while wearing shoes.

Berlin Walls

Remember when I said you need to work out your upper body for Tough Mudder? Well this is one of those obstacles that requires a lot of upper body strength. The falling down part from it wasn’t that difficult to do.

Everest

The Berlin Walls obstacle was the last obstacle that was away from the base. Once we ran out of the woods, we were in a field which led us to the base. This is where all the concession stands, tents for changing cloths, gift shop, and the start/finish lines were. At the base, there were two obstacles: Everest and Electroshock Therapy.

Everest is an obstacle that is just a quarter pipe. The goal was to run up it and then grab onto to the ledge of it, but most people got help from others by getting pulled up onto the ledge.

Electroshock Therapy

This one was like the Electric Eel obstacle except for you get to stand and run through it. Also, the power was actually on for it so I got shocked a few times while going through it. This one had the most spectators watching it (maybe because of the comedic effect) and announcers commenting on it. Don’t worry, the jolts of electricity weren’t painful at all, but they will give you a funny sensation, like when you hit your funny bone.

Finish Line

Beer, Glorious Beer!

Finally, after all that running, going through obstacles, and wading through mud, we made it to the finish line and got our Tough Mudder headbands and beer! I have to admit I didn’t think getting any of those items would feel worthwhile but now I feel like they were hard earned.

What about you?

Are you a Tough Mudder or do you have any questions about the event? If so, please feel free to share or ask in the comments section below!

]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/12/24/my-experience-at-tough-mudder-2/feed/0tampasportsfitnessFoot Patrolhttps://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/09/05/foot-patrol/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/09/05/foot-patrol/#respondThu, 05 Sep 2013 09:54:12 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1341]]>Although football season has now officially arrived in the bay area, the appearance of fall items in the grocery (hello, Octoberfest ale!… in September!) has the TampaSportsFitness offices considering a change in the weather and the oncoming rush of outdoor events. And since both the paint run and the pixie dust run just finished, we feel a little safer about going outside.

Tough Mudder (where volunteers can run for $20 after working!) and the Zombie 5k will both be returning to the bay area later this year, and their reappearance enforces the notion that 5k races of different flavors are becoming (wait for it…) a trend. Articles on Tough Mudder have already appeared in Men’s Journal and GQ. The Zombie 5k has been featured as a fall favorite event on the Travel Channel. And in the bay area, clubs have formed to prepare/push each other to finish the runs.

One thing that hasn’t been addressed very well? Footwear.

Consider: most running shoes are designed to handle long runs on paved surfaces, such as roads and sidewalks. But the obstacle course runs typically take place in fields, and cleat shoes aren’t considered wise since they would not allow for the best performance once the person leaves the ground. Plus, anyone crawling in the trenches won’t appreciate being kicked by a football sneaker. Tough Mudder, for example, recommends any old shoe that can be donated after. Based on that criteria, one could therefore attempt the course in platform heels (please don’t).

TampaSportsFitness endorses any kind of activity, be it gimmicky or classic, but takes a substance over style approach to the type of shoes. To be sure, running shoes and cross-trainers are generally acknowledged as the go-to shoes for most physical activities, with some exceptions like yoga and diving. But those shoes aren’t always the correct choice. The right footwear for the right event has always been an ongoing issue in the TampaSportsFitness office, especially when it comes to more off-beat activities than outrunning zombies and enduring an obstacle course.

A pair of parkour shoes runs (HA!) for about $49.99. A decent pair of high-end soccer cleats online can be more than $200. And triathlon shoes can be about $100. The problems with all these specialized foot requirements, of course, are money and space; specialized shoes are hard to find cheap, and the more shoes you have the bigger the closest space needed (or garage, in the case of certain sport bloggers).

For example, while engaging in acrobalance a few years ago, TampaSportsFitness discovered that ninja tabi boots (which can be purchased at Wolfpack Martial Arts Supplies on Busch Boulevard by Chamberlain High School) were fantastic in terms of grip and support for acrobatic activities, which included standing on shoulders and running up walls. Likewise, Feiyue shoes were ideal for practicing martial arts on carpet and gymnasium floors, although tile floors proved problematic. And fencing, which favors shoes with flat soles to allow for the quick weight transfers, could be ideally served with wrestling shoes, which are flat and provide superior ankle support.

So what kind of shoe works best for your activity? And is it something odd, like bowling shoes for rock climbing?

]]>https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/09/05/foot-patrol/feed/0tampasportsfitnessYouth in Sports: Reason for Hopehttps://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/07/24/youth-in-sports-reason-for-hope/
https://tampasportsfitness.com/2013/07/24/youth-in-sports-reason-for-hope/#respondThu, 25 Jul 2013 01:55:12 +0000http://tampasportsfitness.com/?p=1172]]>August is almost upon us, and as a friend pointed out to us this week, football is just around the corner. Football in the bay area means the Bucs and the Bulls, but more importantly, it means the return of Friday night lights on high school fields.

Which is why, in a slight change of pace, TampaSportsFitness is recommending a news series that deals with the challenges of youth sports programs.

In an age when some parents pay thousands of dollars for special coaches to help their children excel on the field, the image of youth sports as the last bastion of athletic purity, the one place where players and fans can enjoy themselves, is being challenged. With the hype and glory of professional athletics only a Tweet, Facebook page, or YouTube video away at all times, the changing culture of youth sports has produced as many new concerns as it has taken advantageous steps forward.

Thankfully, the writers at the Tampa Bay Times have noticed this, too, and they’ve done something about it.

The series, titled Varsity Blues, has proven to be one of the most interesting reads about youth sports produced in the bay area. A team of writers spoke with numerous coaches and sports figures, both locally and nationally, and produced a series that highlights the numerous pitfalls and booby traps of youth sports while offering guidance and sign posts of hope along the way.

The series proves timely, as fall school sessions are drawing closer and bringing football back to everyone’s attention. The series also has personal heft on the TampaSportsFitness team, where some of the memebers have been wrestling with this subject since being upgraded to parents.

Some of the subjects are surprising. One problem the series has highlighted is the concern from coaches and parents that the sheer number of athletic programs now available (year-round ball clubs, multiple leagues, travel teams) makes it harder for kids to learn the values of hard work and perseverance. If a child fails to crack the starting lineup, they now have more opportunities to leave one club for another, potentially dissuading the kid from working harder for more playing time. The writers also highlight other areas of concern, like the surprising lack of available funds for many local prep sports programs, overtaxing a child’s still-developing body with year-round play, and the rise in diva behavior from players and parents. The writers do all this, however, while stressing the notion that the message can and should still be “let ‘em play,” even when that seems impossible.

The Parents and Diva sections both show how easy it is for both players and parents to be seduced by even the slimmest possibility of a full-ride college scholarship and the potential riches of a professional career. The writers also discuss the surrounding culture that celebrates the hype and tends to view young athletic prospects the same way Henry VIII would have appraised a potential new bride.

There have been exposes aplenty on the disturbing results of too much professional emphasis being placed on youth sports. H.G. Bissinger’s Friday Night Lights is the gold standard here, although TampaSportsFitness also recommends Robert Andrew Powell’s We Own This Game for its look at Pee Wee leagues in Miami. But the Tampa Bay Times series is an excellent read for anyone who has a child involved in sports because the writers do more than pay lip service to the familiar problems of youth sports, like parents confusing volunteering on their child’s Little League team with being the agent for their child’s athletic career.

Proof that there’s still hope, however, can be seen in the story about the young athlete/parent relationship of J.D. Edwards, a Pasco football player, and his father John Alexander, a former collegiate basketball player.

This one got announced a few weeks ago, but it piqued our interest. The NFL has implemented a new policy regarding bringing bags into football stadiums.

The NFL Committee on Stadium Security said to a provide a “safer environment” and to “expedite fan entry,” NFL teams will implement a policy that will limit the size and types of bags that can be brought into stadiums.

Additional banned items include coolers, fanny packs, cinch bags and camera bags. Items that will still be allowed are small clutch purses, bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12″; and gallon freezer bags. The original story is here, along with a list of things not allowed at Bucs games.

What has us interested is if other athletic facilities/sports organizers will follow the NFL’s lead on this. The story stated the NFL made this decision in part due to the Boston Marathon bombings earlier this year, which is only understandable; NFL games can draw huge crowds in their host cities even when the teams aren’t winning, which could prove to be a tempting target for the next idiot. So what does it mean for the other local sporting events like, say, the Clearwater Iron Man competition or the Gasparilla Distance Classic? Right now the reports indicate the bag rules only apply to NFL games, but if the rule change proves effective, will that rule apply to other events hosted at the stadiums?

The 33rd Annual Tampa Bay Senior Games will be held Oct. 7-18. Online registration begins on July 15. Beginning on Aug. 5, you can also pay by check or money order. Simply print, fill in the forms and register by mail. The Games are open to adults age 50 and over as of Dec. 31, 2013. Registration is open until Sept. 23

The Tampa Bay Senior Games feature 37 events during a two-week competition. Participants competing in the following events also have the opportunity to qualify and advance to the State competitions: basketball free shooting, billiards, bowling, golf, pickleball, power lifting, swimming, track and field events, table tennis and tennis.

Entry fee is $20 and includes unlimited participation in most of the games, one ticket to the awards luncheon, opening ceremony breakfast, and a t-shirt. The following events have an additional cost: golf (extra $25), power lifting (extra $5), 5K run (extra $15), and pickleball (is an extra $5 per event). The cost for additional Awards Banquet tickets for non-participants is $10 each.

Last year, the Tampa Bay Senior Games hosted 655 competitors, and more than 400 participated during opening day. The oldest contestant was 97 years young and the youngest was 50.

The Tampa Bay Senior Games are hosted by the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, Hillsborough County Family and Aging Services, City of Tampa Recreation Department, and Temple Terrace Leisure Services.